


Glitter

by OverthinkingFeathers



Category: Dragon Age, Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age 2, Dragon Age II
Genre: Anders - Freeform, F/M, Hawke - Freeform, Varric - Freeform, and copious amounts of glitter, with mentions of - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-03
Updated: 2017-02-03
Packaged: 2018-09-21 17:59:44
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 964
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9560513
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/OverthinkingFeathers/pseuds/OverthinkingFeathers
Summary: Merrill struggles when her plan to cheer everyone up in the Deep Roads doesn't work out as planned. Carver struggles with his crush. A short one shot.





	

**Author's Note:**

> This is a response to the prompt, "Writing prompt: “Before you get mad, you must know that at the very least, the glitter wasn’t my idea.” Pairing: Either Carver/Merrill or Hawke/Anders -- your choice!"

The Deep Roads, Carver thought, were a gift that just never stopped giving. Specifically when combined with his brother. Sure, they were bad enough on their own - darkspawn filled and crumbling with age - but only the infamous Champion of Kirkwall could drag him along to a section of Deep Roads featuring an awakened darkspawn, dwarves determined to drain them of blood, and a healer barreling towards a breakdown. And only his brother could look at the abandoned stone around them and send Carver out to hunt for firewood, as if they had seen even a single piece in this prison. 

Next time, he wasn't going to come along, even if Merrill did look at him hopefully. 

He could hear her picking her way through the hallway behind him. He didn't need to turn around to know it was her. She was far lighter than any of the darkspawn and far more careful than any of the dwarves. The floor was littered with stones and rusted scraps of metal, leftovers of whatever the dwarves had been doing before. He wished he had brought an extra pair of shoes for her. Maybe, a particularly impulsive part of his brain suggested, he could carry her back. 

He flushed and banished the thought. He barely ever saw her these days, and the Wardens didn't have time for that kind of thing. He knew better. 

He expected her to be in good spirits when he turned around - Merrill was an eternal optimist - but instead, she looked anxious. He assessed her quickly, looking for injuries. No blood or signs of battle, but something was clearly bothering her. She shifted from side to side, eyes wide, expression worried. 

He opened his mouth to say something, but she beat him to it. "Are you allergic to glitter?" 

Carver gaped, thrown entirely off guard. If he had had to make a list of things likely to be wrong, glitter would have been so far below the bottom that no one would ever find it. "What?" 

"Are you allergic to glitter? It's just that Anders seems to be, and I don't want to surprise you." 

"I don't- I don't know if people can be allergic to glitter, Merrill." For the first time, he noticed she was clutching something tightly in her hands. He couldn't quite make out what it was. "I know I'm not, at least." 

She must have believed him, because she thrust an envelope at him quickly, like she might change her mind if she hesitated. "Before you get mad, you must know that at the very least, the glitter wasn’t my idea. I mean, I put it in there, of course, and I'm really very sorry about that. Varric assured me that humans are very fond of glitter, and he knows people much better than I do, but Anders sneezed when he opened his, and then he kept sneezing, and I don't think he enjoyed that very much at all. I just wanted to make everyone happy! If I find out Varric lied on purpose, I am going to personally kill him and-" 

"Merrill." His wits had finally managed to catch up. "It's ok, really. I promise." 

She looked dubious, but she didn't protest. He opened the envelope gently, pulling out the contents with, as promised, a rather large puff of silver glitter. Beneath the sparkles was a piece of plain paper folded in half to make a card. The front read, "We may be stuck in the Deep Roads, but there's always a bright side!" in flowing script. Inside, there was a dried flower - a daisy, he realized after a moment - and the words, "I'm glad you're here." Above it, neatly crossed out, were the phrases, "At least it's not raining," "At least there aren't any bears," "At least you're with family," and "At least you can't get sick this time." He grinned. 

"Do you like it?" There was still some anxiety under her words, like he could do anything but adore it. 

"It's lovely, Merrill." Lovelier than he could put into words. He was going to keep it forever. 

"Do you really think so? I couldn't think of what to write, and I know daises aren't that rare, but I do like them. I thought you could take it with you wherever you go and think of home." 

"I'm really touched. I mean it. Thank you." He took the daisy out of the card and, on an impulse, tucked it behind his ear. Merrill giggled, and that shouldn't have made him feel light as air, but it did. He struck a pose for a second to make her laugh again. His stomach filled with butterflies, but he motioned back towards camp. Best not to push his luck any farther, no matter how much he wanted to. 

"I don't think we're going to find any firewood out here; it's all just stone. We should head back." He took a few steps, but she seemed equally reluctant to go, and that made him brave. "You know, Varric made up the thing about humans liking glitter. I mean, a few people might, but it's hardly a universal thing. If you want, I can help you kill him. We can go to the Hanged Man when we get back. My treat." 

He caught sight of her smile in the half light. "I'd like that." 

"Great. It's a date then. I mean, it is if you want. It doesn't have to be. It can just be a get revenge on Varric plan." He was the one rambling now. It was rare these days. He took a deep breath and resolutely began walking. It was probably better to stop digging that particular hole. 

Then Merrill slipped a cool hand into his, and his heart flipped.


End file.
